Buckle



cotton, or other material,

Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Murray Company, of Texas Dallas, Tex, a corporation Application April 6, 1935, Serial No. 15,000

8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fasteners. V 7

One object of the invention is to provide an improved fastener which is particularly adapted to be applied to the bands which encircle a bale of and which securely fasten said bands in position.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved fastener including a member through which the ends of the tie band are passed and bent upon themselves to lie contiguous to said member, and means engaging over said bent ends and member to hold the ends in such position, as well as to cover said ends whereby the sha-r'pedges thereof are unexposedtothe handlers'of the bale.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fastener for the tie bands of a bale of cotton, or other material which is so arranged that the bands may be manually tightened to a desired degree and easily fastened in this posi-' tion; the fastener being so constructed that the maximum strength of the band is utilized when fastened around the bale.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastener. which is constructed of two members, one of which is arranged to receive the ends of the band, the other being slidable over the inner member to encase the same to hold the ends of the bands secured in the latter, the outer member serving as an identification tag.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure l is an elevation of a bale of cotton having a fastener constructed in accordance with the invention, secured to its bands,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the fastener,

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical, sectional View of the same,

Figure 4 is an elevation, taken at right angles to Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the outer sleeve or casing.

Figure '7 is a similar View to Figure 3 and showing the outer casing before it has been slipped over the inner sleeve.

In the drawing, the numeral l0 designates a bale of' cotton having the usual bands I"! encircling the same. It is pointed out that although a bale of cotton is shown, the bale may be of hay, or other material, so long as the tie bands I I are employed.

Various fasteners and buckles have been devised for securing the ends of these hands together but the main difficulty has been to provide a fastener which will permit the band to be manually tightenedto a desired degree and fastened. Al- 1 For overcoming the above disadvantages, a

fastener I3 is provided. This fastener includes an inner sleeve or member l3 which is substantially rectangular in cross section and its width is the width of the band ll. passed around the bale and the ends I I thereof are passed through the sleeve as clearly shown in Figure 7. These ends are then pulled through said sleeve until the band H is tightened sufficiently around the bale, after which said ends are bent upon themselves so as to lie contiguous to the sides of the sleeve, (Figure 3). After being bent the ends of the band are cut off so as not to extend beyond the upper and lower ends of the sleeve. It is obvious that so long as the ends remain in this position, loosening of the band is prevented.

For holding said ends in this position, an outer sleeve 01' casing M, which has been previously placed onto the ban-d, is slid over the inner sleeve and the bent ends I I, as shown clearly in Figure 4. The outer sleeve is slightly larger and longer than the inner sleeve, so that when slid into position thereover, it will frictionally engage the bent ends II of the band ll. ment will prevent the outer sleeve from being jarred or displaced from its position. The upper and lower ends of the outer sleeve may be flared slightly at M so as to facilitate its being slipped over the inner sleeve and bent ends of the band I l.

Both the inner and outer sleeves are preferably made of light metal but may be made of any suitable material and since one entire side of the outer sleeve is exposed, it is obvious that any The band is first 25 This frictional engag- 45 suitable indicia may be stamped thereon for the purpose of identification. The outer sleeve being a part of the fastener for the hand, there is no danger of the identification marking being lost. Also, by placing the identification on said fastener, the cost of the individual tags, is eliminated, and the time necessary for applying the same is saved.

Since the inner sleeve is substantially the width of the band to which it is applied, it is obvious that the maximum strength of the band is utilized. There is no necessity for narrowing the end of the band to fit the fastener. Neither is it necessary to punch openings therein for fastening purposes which tend to weaken the band. When in position, the outer sleeve or casing completely covers the bent ends I I and inner sleeve, whereby the sharp edges of said ends are covered, which reduces the danger of cutting hands and clothes thereon. The entire fastener is simple in construction and cheap in manufacture. It is readily applied or removed and permits tightening of the band at any time after said band has been applied, which is advantageous because stretch in said band occurs after it has been on the bale for a length of time.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fastener for securing the tie bands of a bale comprising, a member through which the ends of the band are passed and bent to overlie the outer sides thereof, and movable means for engaging the ends to retain said ends in bent position.

2. A fastener for securing the tie bands of a bale comprising, a member through which the ends of the band are passed and bent to lie contiguous to the sides of the member, and a casing for engaging over said member and bent ends to retain the ends in a bent position.

3. A fastener for securing the tie bands of a bale comprising, a member through which the ends of the band are passed and bent to lie contiguous to the sides thereof, and a sleeve arranged to be slid over said member and the bent ends to completely encircle the same for retaining the ends in a bent position.

4. A fastener for the tie bands of a bale comprising, a sleeve through which the ends of the bands are passed, said ends being arranged to be bent upon themselves to lie contiguous to the outer sides of the sleeve, and means for engaging the ends to retain said ends in such bent position.

5. A fastener for the tie bands of a bale comprising, a sleeve rectangular in cross section and having a width substantially the width of the band, whereby the ends of the band may be passed through the sleeve, said band ends being bent to lie contiguous to the outer sides of the sleeve, and means for engaging the ends to retain the ends in such bent position.

6. A fastener for the tie bands of a bale comprising, a sleeve through which the ends of the bands are passed, said ends being arranged to be bent upon themselves to lie contiguous to the outer sides of the sleeve, and an outer sleeve arranged to be slid over said inner sleeve and the bent ends to cover said ends, said sleeve having a frictional engagement with the ends, whereby said ends are retained in a bent position.

'1. A fastener for securing the tie bands of a bale comprising, a member through which the ends of the band are passed and bent to lie contiguous to the sides thereof, and a sleeve arranged to be slid over said member and the bent ends to completely encircle the same for retaining the ends in a bent position, said sleeve having identification indicia on its exposed side.

8. A fastener for the tie bands of a bale comprising, a sleeve through which the ends of the bands are passed, said ends being arranged to be bent upon themselves to lie contiguous to the outer sides of the sleeve, and an outer sleeve arranged to be slid over said inner sleeve and the bent ends to cover said ends, said sleeve having a frictional engagement with the ends, whereby said ends are retained in a bent position, said sleeve having identification indicia on its exposed side.

JOHN B. GRAVES, JR. 

